Governor controller for internal-combustion engines



Aug. 25, 1925.

- v 1,550,876 A. O. CARPENTER GOVERNOR -GQN'LROLLER FORINTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES Original Filed Aug. 21, 1923 2 Sheen-sheet *1INVENTOR llllerm 0.04m enfeu {V m5 ATTORNEY Aug. 25, 1925:

, A. O.'CARPENTER GOVERNOR CONTROLLER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES 12 Sheets-Shut 2 Original Filed Aug. 21, 1923 INVENTOR Jinan O: Ewen?? BYVf 1 Hi5 ATTOHN Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES l,5}50 ,8?t PATENT DFFIQE.

ALLAN O. CARPENTER, OIE CORNING, NEW YORK, AS-SIGNOR T0 INGERSOLL-RANDCOMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 013 NEW JERSEY.

GOVERNOR CONTROLLER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Original application filed August 21, 1923, Serial No. 658,598.

Divided and this application filed July 5,

1924. Serial No. 724,243.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLAN O. CARPENTER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Corning, county of Steuben, State of New York, have inventeda. certain Governor Controller for Internal-Combustion Engines, of whichthe following is a specification accompanied by drawings.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.658,598, filed August 21, 1923, for governor cont-roller for internalcombustion engines.

This invention relates to controlling mechanism for the governor of aninternal combustion engine, but particularly to mechanism forcontrolling the centrifugal governor of such an engine when used fordriving a compressor.

In an ordinary combustion engine driven unit, even although equippedwith a gover nor for the engine, the unit is operated at practically aconstant speed and when unloading of the compressor takes place there isa slight increase in the speed of the umt, due to reduced load.Furthermore, it is not convenient to reduce the speed of the machineduring operation in order to out down the amount of air delivered inaccordance with the demands, since this must be done by regulation ofthe hand throttle of the engine.

Such regulation takes the machine out of governor control as long as airis being compressed, and if the engine has been throttled to a low speedand unloading occurs, the engine will immediately jump to its maxi mumspeed as controlled by the governor. Also, when operating under thethrottled condition and without governor control, even thoughunloadingdoes not occur, the operation is likely to be more or less unsteady, dueto variations in the fuel supply and the other operating conditions.

The objects of the present invention are to enable the machine to bemaintained under governor control at any operating speed, and whenautomatically unloaded to be automatically reduced in speed to a minimumidling speed, but even in this condition still maintained under governorcontrol. The advantages of such operation are among others mentioned,that at no times is the machine running at an excessive speed, whichgreatly reduces the wear on the moving parts and reduces the fuelconsumption.

In addition to the features mentioned an object of the invention is toenable the operator to conveniently and promptly adjust the governorsetting, whereby the operating speed of the machine may be reducedthrough successive steps to a predetermined minimum while the engine isrunning.

The invention is shown in one of its preferred forms in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a gasoline enginedriven portable compressor unit equipped with a governor controllingmech anism, and

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail diagrammatic View of the governorcontrolling mechanism partly in section, with the relative position ofsome of the parts altered and brought into the same vertical plane forclearness of illustration.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown in connection with aportable compressor unit, in which the compressor A, mounted on theframe B having the wheels C, is driven by any suitable combustion engineD. The invention, however, is applicable to stationary as well asportable units. The air receiver E for the compressor, and gasoline tankF for the combustion engine, may be mounted in any suitable manner onthe frame. The main driving shaft of the combustion engine D and thecrank shaft G of the compressor, are coupled by any suitable coupling H.

The combustion engine is provided with a suitable centrifugal governormounted on the countershaft J suitably geared to the engine shaft K. Theweighted governor arms L, in this instance, are pivoted on the spider Oand are adapted to bear against the plate P, slidable on thecountershaft J, which in turn moves the lower end Q, of the governorlever B outwardly about the pivotal point S as the governor arms flyoutwardly with increase of speed of the engine. The upper end of thelever B is connected by a rod T to the throttle U of the combustionengine, so that upon an increase of speed of the engine beyond apredetermined degree, the throttle U is automatically moved towardsclosed position and the speed brought back to the desired point.

Means are provided for setting the governor whereby the speed of theengine may be limited to a predetermined maximum and in this instance acompression spring V is held between the cap IV on the lever R and thecap X on the end of the adjusting set screw Y, which in turn is mountedon a controller arm Z. The tension of the governor spring V determinesthe maximum speed of the engine.

In accordance with one feature of the invention, means are providedcooperating with the said setting device for reducing the operatingspeed of the engine through successive steps to a predetermined minimum,and this cooperating means is perferably manually operated.

In the present instance, and as a convenient form of unitary governorcontroller adapted to be mounted on the combustion engine, a controllerbracket a is provided with an adjusting segment I) having a series ofholes 0 corresponding to different speeds of the engine, and thecontroller arm Z carrying the set screw or adjusting device Y is pivotedat d on the bracket a. The controller lever e is pivoted on the bracketa at the point f, and is provided with a cam g cooperating with portionsof the controller arm. A spring pin it in the outer end of thecontroller lever e is adapted to be inserted in the holes 0 in thesegment Z) to maintain the controller lever e in the desired positionfor a given speed of the engine. The bracket a is also provided with aspring pocket or socket 9' containing a spring having a cap 0 bearingupon the controller arm Z, which tends to hold the controller arm uponthe cam g of the controller lever 6. When the controller lever a isadjusted nearest the end p of the segment 6, the governor spring V willbe under maximum compression and the speed of the engine will be limitedto a predetermined maximum. From this setting the controller lever 6 maybe moved towards the opposite end Q of the segment I) and adjusted indifierent holes 0 for reducing the operating speed of the engine throughsuccessive steps to a predetermined minimum, because in so moving thecontroller lever e the controller arm Z will be adjusted by the cam g torelieve the compression of the governor spring V, and a predeterminedminimum speed of the engine will be obtained when the controller lever eis in the last hole 0 nearest the end 9 of the seg ment. By looseningthe adjusting nut r on the set screw Y of the governor setting deviceand adjusting the set screw Y, the tension of the spring V may be variedand the predetermined speed for which the governor is set may bechanged.

In addition to the manual means for reducing the operating speed of theengine through successive steps to a predetermined minimum, automaticmechanism is also provided cooperating with the setting device forreducing the operating speed of the engine to a predetermined minimum,which may be equal to orbelow the minimum speed determined by the manuallevers. This automatic mechanism is preferably operated in accordancewith the discharge pressure of the compressor and is intended to bebrought into operation when the air discharge pressure exceeds apredetermined degree or when the compressor is running unloaded. Forthis purpose the controller bracket a is preferably provided with an aircylinder 8, having a plunger t carrying a pin a adapted to bear againstthe toe o. of the controller arm Z, so that air pressure behind theplunger t will force the pin u against the toe 'v and rock thecontroller arm Z about its pivot d in a direction to relieve the tensionof the governor spring V, regardless of the position at which thecontroller lever e is set. As shown, the air cylinder 8 is connected bya pipe w through any suitable auxiliary valve :0 to the receiver tank E.The function of the auxiliary valve 00 is like that of the valvedescribed in United States Patent No. 1,138,278 granted May 4, 1915, toJ. H. Castle and W. G. Rogers. A branch pipe 3 preferably having a checkvalve .2 is connected to the pipe w to furnish fluid pressure forholding open the inlet valves of the compressor to permit unloading. Theinlet valves (only one of which is shown) may be of any suitableconstruction, and in this instance are shown as plate valves 2, havingvalve cages 3 provided with air cylinders 4 having plungers 5 andfingers 6 connected to the plungers for lifting and holding the valvesopen when air pressure is admitted behind the plungers. Upon asufficient increase of pressure in the discharge tank E, the auxiliaryvalve :0 will permit fluid pressure to pass to the said valve liftersand also to the air cylinder 6 of the governor controller, in which casethe compressor will be automatically unloaded and the engine speed willbe automatically reduced to a predetermined degree, while the compressoris running unloaded. The compressor will automatically resume its loadat the proper pressure, and the engine will be brought back to operatingspeed.

Means are also provided in connection with the governor controller forsetting the automatic mechanism so that the minimum speed of the enginewill be adjusted to any predetermined limit, and for this purpose aminimum speed stop in the form of a set screw 7, having the adjustingnut 8, extends into the spring. socket j and forms a stop for the cap 0which bears against the controller arm Z. By adjusting the set screw 7the movement of the controller arm Z may be limited as desired foradjusting the minimum speed of the engine.

I have found that my governor controller operates satisfactorily andwell and in a highly eiticient manner. When the various adjustments areonce made they need not be altered under ordinary conditions, but may bereadily changed it desired. The automatic mechanism will operate underthe conditions required for such operation and the manual adjustingdevice may be readily and conveniently adjusted while the engine isrunning, which is an importantfeature in addition to the advantageshereinbeit'ore pointed out.

I claim:

1. In a compressor unit the combination of a compressor and an internalcombustion engine, and a governor controller for the internal combustionengine, comprising a centrifugal governor, a device for setting thegovernor whereby the speed of the engine may be limited to apredetermined maximum, manual means cooperating with said setting devicefor reducing the operating speed of the engine through successive stepsto a pre determined minimum, and automatic mechanism con-trolled by thedischarge pressure of the compressor and cooperating With said settingdevice for reducing the operating speed of the engine to a predeterminedminimum.

2. In a compressor unit, the combination of a compressor and an internalcombustion engine, and a governor controller for the internal combustionengine, comprising a spring controlled centrifugal governor, a devicefor adjusting the tension of the governor spring whereby the speed ofthe engine may be limited to a predetermined maximum, manual meanscooperating with said adjusting device for reducing the operating speedof the engine through successive steps to a predetermined minimum, andautomatic mechanism controlled by the discharge pressure of thecompressor and cooperating With said setting device for reducing theoperating speed of the engine to a predetermined minimum.

3. In a compresor unit, the combination of a compressor and an internalcombustion engine, and a governor controller for the internal combustionengines, comprising a centrifugal governor, a device for setting thegovernor whereby the speed of the engine may be limited to apredetermined maximum, manual means cooperating with said adjustingdevice for reducing the operating speed of the engine through successive steps to a predetermined minimum, automatic mechanism controlledby the discharge pressure of the compressor and cooperating with saidsetting device for reducing the operating speed of the engine to apredetermined minimum, and means for setting the said automaticmechanism whereby the minimum speed of the engine may be adjusted to anypredetermined limit.

41-. In a compressor unit, the combination of a compressor and aninternal combustion engine, and a governor controller for the internalcombustion engine, comprising a centrifugal governor, a device forsetting the governor whereby the speed of the engine may be limited to apredetermined maximum and combined manual and automatic meanscooperating with said setting device for varying said setting, saidautomatic means being controlled by the dis charge pressure of thecompressor.

5. A governor controller for the internal combustion engines, comprisinga centrifugal governor, a spring pressed governor lever, a device forsetting the governor whereby the speed of the engine may be limited to apredetermined maximum and both manual and automatic devices for independently controlling said setting device, said automatic device beingcontrolled by the discharge pressure of the compressor, and means forsetting the said automatic device whereby the minimum speed of theengine may be adjustedto any predetermined limit.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

ALLAN O. CARPENTER.

